Clouds prevented space shuttle Endeavour from blasting off Sunday on the last planned nighttime shuttle launch, delaying its trip with a final few building blocks for the International Space Station. The band of low clouds started moving in from the north late Saturday. NASA counted down to the nine-minute mark, but the sky remained overcast, offering little hope of a lucky break. NASA managers said they would try again Monday, when slightly better weather was expected. «We tried really, really hard to work the weather. It was just too dynamic,» launch director Mike Leinbach told the six astronauts aboard Endeavour. «We just were not comfortable with launching the space shuttle tonight.» «Sometimes you just got to make the call,» replied commander George Zamka. «So we understand and we'll give it another try tomorrow night.» Endeavour is loaded with a new room for the space station, as well as an observation deck. Once both of those are installed, the orbiting complex will be 98 percent complete. Launch time on Monday was scheduled at 4:14 a.m. (0914 GMT). It's expected to be the last shuttle launch in darkness. The pre-dawn departure will mean the graveyard shift for Zamka and his crew during the entire 13-day flight. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden reminded journalists Saturday that there are only five shuttle missions left. «You're going to have to figure out what else you're going to do, along with us,» he said.
